Blue Jays: Let’s get crazy with five blockbuster ideas

While we wait for the Blue Jays to make a significant roster addition, I’ve come up with five blockbuster trade ideas, and some are more realistic than others.

We’ve reached the stage of the offseason where we’re more likely to roll our eyes about a rumour connecting the Blue Jays to an available player than we are to get excited about it. It’s been a while since the Blue Jays re-upped with Robbie Ray on a one-year, eight million dollar pact, and it feels like it’s time to move on to the next stage of the offseason plan.

Of course, Ross Atkins and the front office only have so much control over the timing of how things go down. They can make their offers, both to free agents and to potential trade partners, but it takes two to tango. Based on everything we’ve heard over the last few weeks it sounds like the Blue Jays have made a few offers, and could very well have some of the table as we speak.

However, we’re still left waiting until something actually goes down, and there’s no guarantee that will happen before the calendar flips to 2021.

In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to look at five different blockbuster trade ideas the Blue Jays could explore this winter. Some are certainly more feasible than others, but I honestly believe the Blue Jays have the trade assets to acquire almost whomever they like. Obviously the likes of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are going to be off limits, but it’s a pretty short list. I’ll use baseballtradevalues.com to determine player value and trade value equity, rather than my own opinion.

For the purposes of this fantasy exercise, let’s assume that the vast majority of teams aren’t the league are open to dealing some of their best players. I’ll keep it to situations that are at least remotely possible, simply because there’s not much point in talking about what it would take to get Trout. It’s not happening.

Beyond that though, here are five blockbuster ideas that I think are at least worth thinking about, even if the chances are fairly slim.

Are the Rockies ready for a rebuild?

I don’t know if the Colorado Rockies are serious about entertaining offer for Nolan Arenado or not, but the chatter around the idea has been going for at least a year now.

If he were available, Arenado might be the best available player in baseball for the Blue Jays to pursue. He could slide into their vacant spot at third base and provide Gold Glove calibre defence (8x NL winner), and hit in the middle of their lineup. He’d be expensive at 35 million in 2021 and 199 million owing over the final seven years of his current deal, but he’s probably worth it. He does have an opportunity to opt out after the 2022 season, but who knows what the free agent landscape will look like by then. Our own Josh Pedvis also looked at the idea last month. 

As for a trade, here’s what I’ve come up with.

Blue Jays get: (-43.7)

• Nolan Arenado

Rockies get: (16.30)

• Gabriel Moreno
• T.J. Zeuch
• Kevin Smith

This is a rare case where I feel the trade simulator is way off, as it badly punishes Arenado for his expensive contract. It legitimately has his trade value rated as a -43.7, and that’s just not the reality, even with a very expensive and lengthy deal in place, and one that includes an opt out.

It’s hard to say what the Rockies would need to part with their superstar, but I’ve put together a package highlighted by Moreno, and a couple of lower level prospects. Zeuch is known for keeping the ball on the ground, which could be useful in Colorado, and Smith was once a highly rated prospect and could help fill some third base depth.

This one doesn’t feel all that likely, and it’s hard to gauge given Arenado’s value on there, but the Blue Jays would be fools not to explore the idea at the very least.

What is the Nationals were ready to re-tool?

The Washington Nationals managed to overcome a slow start to their 2019 season and come back to become the eventual World Series champions. While they could give it another run with largely the same group in 2021, I wonder if they’d entertain a re-tool under the right circumstances?

The obvious area of interest with the Nationals would be their three-headed monster at the top of their starting rotation. Would they consider splitting it up? Here’s an idea that I pitched to the simulator:

Blue Jays get: (30.6)

• Max Scherzer
• Victor Robles

Nationals get: (31.6)

• Alek Manoah
• Gabriel Moreno
• Leonardo Jimenez
• Derek Fisher

It’s a steep price for the the Blue Jays to pay, but there’s a strong argument that the deal would be worth it. You’d get the twilight years of a still effective Scherzer, and a long-term solution in centre with Robles.

The Blue Jays would be giving up their #5 (Manoah), #8 (Moreno), and #14 (Jimenez) prospect in the deal, but you’ve gotta give to receive. Fisher is a throw in that could still figure things out, but who knows if the Nationals would take a flyer or not.

The biggest hang-up to this idea may be whether Robles could be part of the equation, but that would certainly get the Blue Jays’ attention. The 23 year old had a tough 2020 campaign and has still yet to fully break out, but there’s a lot of upside to like there.

Just for fun

There are reports that the Phillies have been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, so much so that it’s no certainly that they’ll even try to re-sign J.T. Realmuto.

With that in mind, I could put together a more feasible trade idea here, but I figured I’d throw that out the window for one slide here, just for kicks. I know I said I wouldn’t go too off board in the opening, but this is my over-the-top exception.

Blue Jays get: (14.5)

• Aaron Nola
• Bryce Harper

Phillies get: (17.8)

• Moreno
• CJ Van Eyk
• Chavez Young

This might look lobsided, but there’s an explanation. That would be the fact that the Phillies would be dumping Harper just two years into his mammoth 13-year, 330 million dollar pact he signed ahead of the 2019 season. According to baseballtradevalues.com, is value is -92.9 because of the contract.

If this came to fruition, the Phillies would basically start another re-set, and it may not be a terrible idea. Moreno would help soften the blow of losing Realmuto, and Van Eyk has some nice upside as a mid-rotation starter or better. Young would be a roll of the dice outfielder, and is the 30th ranked prospect in the Blue Jays’ system.

Of course, Nola would be a beautiful fit with the Blue Jays, but Harper might be another story. They don’t really need another corner outfielder, and committing to his contract would be a tall order. He’s past the days where he can function as a centre fielder, and may even need to move to first base in a few years. That’s not ideal with 11 years to go on his deal. Still, imagine Harper hitting third between Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez? It would make for a scary sight for opposing pitchers.

Still, I’ll admit that this one isn’t happening. It’s fun to think about though.

End of an era for the Cubbies?

The last idea that I’d like to present is one that I’d absolutely love to come to fruition, even if there’s a slim to none chance.

Having said that, I think the Cubs would be willing to trade their incumbent third basemen, especially after all the non-tender rumours we’ve heard in recent weeks. As for the rest, here’s what I’ve come up with in this fantasy scenario.

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Blue Jays get: (25.4)

• Yu Darvish
• Kris Bryant

Cubs get: (28.0)

• Simeon Woods Richardson
• Otto Lopez
• Eric Pardinho

I don’t know that the Cubs would be willing to part with Darvish, but the chance to acquire an arm like Woods Ricardson’s may tempt them. He’s the Blue Jays’ 4th ranked prospect right now, and 2nd behind only Nate Pearson, who will soon lose his prospect status. He’s not the type of arm that you typically trade away, but for a chance to get Darvish and his multiple years of control, it’s not out of the question. Bryant would come on an expiring contract, but it’s a good situation to join in Toronto, and they’d have a year to convince him to stay. His ability to play third base and in the corner outfield spots is a huge plus, as well his MVP resume.

The Blue Jays also send their 13th ranked prospect in infielder Otto Lopez, and Eric Pardinho, who has lost a bit of shine in recent years, but still sits at #12 in their system, and is just 19 years old despite his experience. That might not seem like enough to get both Darvish and Bryant, but you have to remember that the latter is bordering on a giveaway at this point, as the Cubs legitimately considered non-tendering him. The Blue Jays might have to step up the offer a bit more than this, but Woods Richardson on his own has a ton of value. Darvish has three years and 59 million remaining on his deal. 

Now that I’ve thrown five ideas on the table, is there one in particular that stands out as possible, or as the most exciting? Is there a better idea that I didn’t consider? Feel free to tell us all about it in the comments section below.